In the latest ad, psychologist and body image specialist Ann Kearney-Cooke gives “real women” (not paid actresses) a patch, which she tells them will enhance the way they view their own beauty.

Now wearing the patch as part of a supposed study, these women are told to keep a video diary as they make more adventurous and more confident decisions in their everyday life — like buying a top they certainly wouldn’t have before, or asking a guy out on a date.

The beauty patch was, of course, revealed to be fake, but many of the participants characterized wearing the patch as a “life-altering experience.”

Hearing the stories of how they were empowered to be more comfortable in their skin and make positive changes in their lives makes a person realize how much of our lack of body acceptance is truly all in our heads.

“I’ve definitely opened up something inside of me to make me feel this great.”

Dove has taken some flak for “manipulating” women through this fake beauty patch study, but I don’t see the harm in amping up women’s confidence and then letting them know that the power to change their opinions of themselves was all within, and not chemically based.

Katie Gonzalez is a contributing writer covering fashion and feminism. Katie graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies and currently lives in Haifa, Israel, splitting time between academic research and scouting fo ...

Katie Gonzalez is a contributing writer covering fashion and feminism. Katie graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies and currently lives in Haifa, Israel, splitting time between academic research and scouting fo ...